Jazzahead! 2026: day one

The opening night of jazzahead! 2026 saw a number of eminent guests welcome the capacity audience to what promises to be several days of great jazz and making connections.

The Norrbotten Big Band put on a brilliant show, joined by a number of special guests. As an ensemble, they demonstrate their credentials as hugely talented musicians, and the solos several of them performed were inspired.

I interviewed the NBB artistic director, Joakim Milder a few weeks ago for Harmonious World, so it was no surprise that the band was so strong, but it nevertheless made for a fitting opening for jazzahead!

Saxophonists made great use of the larger ensemble backing: the first of their guests was saxophonist Lisen Rylander Löve, rapidly followed on clarinet and tenor sax by Fredrik Ljungkvist. Both were accompanied with dexterity by the big band.

There was similar skill when the band was next joined by vocalist Josefine Cronholm on her original track From My Window, released as a single today. As well as the beautiful woodwind behind the vocal melody, there was a stunning bari sax feature that was particularly fitting.

The final two acts took the big band in a different direction again, with first the fabulous Agnas Bros, followed by American electro jazz funk duo Knower.

Throughout the evening, the Norrbotten Big Band showed their prowess both as an ensemble and also as solo improvisers. A great start to jazzahead!

The jazzahead! Festival and trade fair continue in Bremen until the weekend